MODELING MATERIAL AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION THEREOF

Abstract

An oven-hardening modeling material, at least including a binder and a softener, the binder and the softener being in the form of a plastisol, the plastisol being essentially composed of PVC and plasticizer and the mass having an overall plasticizer content of 32 to 60 wt. %.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. An oven-hardenable modeling compound, comprising: a binder; and a plasticizer, the binder and the plasticizer being a plastisol, the plastisol being composed substantially of PVC and plasticizer, wherein the compound has a total content of 32 to 60% by weight plasticizer.

12. The compound according to claim 11, wherein the total plasticizer content in a preferred embodiment is between 35 and 55% by weight.

13. The compound according to claim 11, wherein the plasticizer is a phthalate-free or a phthalate-containing plasticizer.

14. The compound according to claim 13, wherein the phthalate-free plasticizer is based on citric acid, adipic acid and/or benzoate ester.

15. The compound according to claim 13, wherein the phthalate-free plasticizer is acetyl tributyl citrate, tri(2-ethylhexyl) acetyl citrate, trioctyl citrate, tridecyl citrate, tributyl citrate, trihexyl citrate, triethyl citrate, dioctyl adipate, diisodecyl adipate, diisononyl adipate, diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylate, acetic acid ester of monoglycerides, benzoates or a mixture of at least two of said substances.

16. The compound according to claim 11, wherein the compound is composed of at least 20-68% by weight binder 32-60% by weight plasticizer 0-40% by weight filler 0-20% by weight other additives.

17. The compound according to claim 16, wherein the filler is inorganic and/or organic.

18. The compound according to claim 16, wherein the filler is kaolin, talc, chalk, silicic acid, aluminum hydroxide, powdered clay and/or a lightweight filler.

19. The compound according to claim 11, including a colorant as a pigment, as a powder pigment, effect pigment and/or as an azo-free coated dye.

20. The compound according to claim 19, wherein the powder pigment is an azo-free color pigment.

21. A method for producing a modeling compound including a binder and a plasticizer, the binder and the plasticizer being a plastisol, the plastisol being composed substantially of PVC and plasticizer, wherein the compound has a total content of 32 to 60% by weight plasticizer, the method comprising the steps of: subjecting a PVC powder and an amount of plasticizer with any other supplements and/or additives to a mixing process at a mixing temperature of about 55 to 70° C.

Description

FRAMEWORK EXAMPLE 1

[0044] 20-68% by weight binder [0045] 32-60% by weight plasticizer [0046] 0-40% by weight % fillers [0047] 0-20% by weight other additives

FRAMEWORK EXAMPLE 2—PREFERRED COMPOSITION

[0048] 40-68% by weight binder [0049] 35-55% by weight plasticizer [0050] 0-20% by weight % fillers [0051] 0-20% by weight other additives

FRAMEWORK EXAMPLE 3—PARTICULARLY PREFERRED COMPOSITION

[0052] 45-63% by weight binder [0053] 38-52% by weight plasticizer [0054] 0-17% by weight % fillers [0055] 0-15% by weight other additives

[0056] Stabilizers, co-stabilizers, colorants and/or fillers are examples of other additives that may be used.

FORMULATION EXAMPLE 1—YELLOW-COLORED MODELING COMPOUND

[0057] 51% by weight E-PVC and S-PVC [0058] 42% by weight plasticizer based on ATBC [0059] 6% by weight stabilizer [0060] 0.5% by weight filler [0061] 0.5% by weight Pigment Yellow 83

FORMULATION EXAMPLE 2—MODELING COMPOUND, TRANSPARENT AFTER HARDENING

[0062] 48% by weight E-PVC and S-PVC [0063] 52% by weight plasticizer based on ATBC

Prior Art—Comparison Formulation According to DE 10 2005 059 143

[0064] 59% by weight PVC [0065] 24% by weight plasticizer based on citric acid [0066] 1% by weight stabilizers [0067] 7% by weight co-stabilizers [0068] 4% by weight filler [0069] 1% by weight Pigment Red 254

[0070] The preferably used phthalate-free plasticizer is based on citric acid and/or adipic acid.

[0071] A desired consistency of the compound can easily be adjusted by varying the binder content and/or plasticizer content.

[0072] The present invention is to be illustrated in more detail using the following tables.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Increase in hardness of the unhardened compound as a function of time at 40° C. 30 days/40° C. 90 days/40° C. Composition according to the Delta H 10% Delta H 13% invention Formulation Example 2 Prior art compound Delta H 245% Delta H 386% Comparative example

[0073] It has been shown that the compound that has not yet hardened in the oven according to the application documents compared to the prior art, when stored at 40° C. over time (30 or 90 days), has a significantly lower increase in hardness, as shown in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Flexibility of the hardened compound. Flexibility/deflection to break in mm Composition according to the 28 invention Formulation Example 2 Prior art compound 6 Comparative example

[0074] These higher breaking strengths could be determined and confirmed with a “texture analyzer”. Round fracture bars having a length of 10 cm and a diameter of 1 cm are produced as test specimens.

[0075] The method according to the invention for producing such modeling compounds is described below.

[0076] The background to the method according to the invention is that the mixing process of the individual components in the compound takes place at an elevated temperature of around 55 to 70° C., preferably around 58 to 65° C. As a result, agglomerate disintegration is initiated during the mixing process, as a result of which an increased content of plasticizer is or can be added to the solid phase of the PVC. More plasticizer can be added/introduced during the mixing process due to the early generation of new surfaces, caused by the agglomerate disintegration.

[0077] The method/process for producing the compound according to the invention can be described as follows.

[0078] In this process, PVC powder and the amount of plasticizer with any other supplements and/or additives are added to the mixing process at a mixing temperature of around 55 to 70° C.

[0079] The components of the compound in the method include [0080] 20-68% by weight binder, [0081] 32-60% by weight plasticizer, [0082] 0-40% by weight fillers and [0083] 0-20% by weight other additives

[0084] The preferred components of the compound in the method include [0085] 40-68% by weight binder, [0086] 35-55% by weight plasticizer, [0087] 0-40% by weight fillers and [0088] 0-20% by weight other additives

[0089] The most preferred components of the compound in the method include [0090] 45-63% by weight binder [0091] 38-52% by weight plasticizer [0092] 0-17% by weight % fillers [0093] 0-15% by weight other additives

[0094] By accommodating/introducing a higher amount of plasticizer into the PVC system of the modeling compound, the increase in hardness of the modeling compound is reduced over time, thus significantly improving the storage stability.

[0095] It has surprisingly been found that the more plasticizer that is added to the PVC powder, the higher the resulting flexibility of the compound after the hardening process. Said higher plasticizer content increases the flexibility of the hardened compound meaningfully/significantly.

[0096] In addition, it has surprisingly been shown that a higher transparency can also be achieved by the method according to the invention.

[0097] The composition according to the invention is used in the production of plastic, manually deformable and heat-hardenable compounds, as modeling compounds for use by children and for the production of craft and/or industrial objects and the products made therefrom, such seal impressions and jewelry.

[0098] The compound or modeling compound is further used for therapeutic purposes in the medical field to train and rehabilitate haptic abilities.

[0099] Articles and objects that are produced with a composition according to the invention are hardened by the action of heat after shaping to form the articles and objects.